The 2024 International Leaders in Loyalty Summit, hosted in Cape Town, attracted a prestigious gathering of global loyalty experts and industry frontrunners. Esteemed brands such as Discovery Vitality, Vodacom’s Vodabucks, The Foschini Group, FNB Ebucks, and African Bank were among the key participants, driving conversations about setting new benchmarks in customer loyalty. However, the summit did more than just share cutting-edge insights—it’s event organisers provided attendees with meaningful Relate Bracelets gifts that tapped into the value of emotional loyalty.

Relate Bracelets: A Gift of Impact and Connection

The official participant gifts of the the Interntaional Leaders in Loyalty Summit were handcrafted Relate bracelets and lanyards, beaded by Relates’ township seniors to raise funds for Blind Loyalty, the CSR initiative founded by Amanda Cromhout, 2023’s International Loyalty Personality of the Year. These event gifts were not only beautifully made by the seniors - thus creating an earning for them, but they are also imbued with purpose, as proceeds from their sale help fund the life-changing cataract surgeries that Blind Loyalty funds for the poor and elderly in rural South Africa. The significance of these gifts with purpose aligns with a growing consumer mindset that the loyalty community understands—one where customers seek emotional connections with the brands they support.

Emotional Connections: Loyalty in the Modern Era

As the loyalty landscape evolves, emotional loyalty has become the new currency. Consumers want to align with companies that reflect their personal beliefs and contribute positively to society. In this context, our partnership with Blind Loyalty represented the perfect gift for the corporate summit, to encapsulate this shift in consumer behaviour.

By partnering with Relate Bracelets, the event organizers captured the essence of what modern loyalty is truly about—building deeper, more meaningful relationships. For global leaders and loyalty professionals gathered at the summit, our simple but beautiful gifts were a tangible symbols of the values that resonate with today’s consumers: authenticity, purpose, and social responsibility.

Blind Loyalty: Transforming Lives Through Loyalty

Blind Loyalty, Amanda Cromhout’s brainchild, is not just a charity initiative—it’s a movement designed to unite the global loyalty industry around a common cause. Cromhout’s mission is to rally loyalty professionals worldwide to adopt Blind Loyalty as the charity of choice, allowing brands to connect with their customers in ways that go beyond points and rewards.

The initiative raises funds to provide cataract surgeries to those who would otherwise face a lifetime of blindness, especially in underserved rural areas of South Africa. With these surgeries, individuals regain their independence and dignity, re-entering their communities with a renewed sense of life. This initiative touches on something deeply emotional—a cause that mirrors the kind of loyalty consumers seek from the brands they support.

Purpose-Driven Loyalty: What Consumers Expect

Consumers, especially the younger generations, are driven by purpose. They seek out brands that champion social causes and deliver on the promise of being forces for good in the world. Supported by a generation of youthful future leaders,Relate Bracelets have become a powerful symbol of social change by transforming simple, handcrafted bracelets into real-world impact that changes lives.

At its core, Blind Loyalty uses the power of loyalty programs to tackle real-world problems. It bridges the gap between business success and societal impact, becoming a tool for doing good and taking care of each other. The bracelets gifted at the conference served as a poignant reminder of this mission, inspiring loyalty leaders to rethink how they connect with consumers through meaningful, purpose-led initiatives.

Amanda Cromhout’s Vision: Loyalty with a Conscience

Amanda Cromhout’s vision for Blind Loyalty reflects the kind of authenticity that consumers are increasingly drawn to. Her commitment to using loyalty as a platform for social change has made her a pioneer, not only in the loyalty industry but in the broader movement toward purpose-driven business. Cromhout is actively engaging more international loyalty professionals to champion Blind Loyalty and turn it into a global standard for corporate responsibility within the loyalty industry.

The loyalty industry has the unique power to shape not just customer relationships but also the world around us, and by embracing movements like Relate Bracelets and causes like Blind Loyalty, brands can become catalysts for positive change to address real-world problems.